Both sides will be missing key pieces when the NBA heads to London on Thursday for a 3 p.m. ET tip between the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards at the O2 Arena. Oddsmakers have accounted for the absences of key players such as John Wall, Markieff Morris, Kristaps Porzingis and Enes Kanter and have set Washington as a 7.5-point favorite in the latest Wizards vs. Knicks odds, while the over-under for total points is 227.5. Before making any Wizards vs. Knicks picks of your own for this Thursday matinee, be sure to check out the NBA London predictions from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, is crushing its NBA picks this season. It enters Week 14 of the 2018-19 NBA season with a sterling 159-118 record on all top-rated picks, returning well over $3,000 to anybody following them. And it was particularly red-hot on its A-rated NBA picks against the spread in Week 13, going a blistering 7-2. Anybody following it is up huge.
Now, it has analyzed all relevant data and crunched the numbers for Knicks vs. Wizards (stream live on fuboTV). We can tell you it's leaning over, but it has also generated a strong against-the-spread pick that hits in nearly 70 percent of simulations. That pick is only available at SportsLine.
The model has taken into account that every game is crucial for the Wizards as they currently sit on the outside looking in on the Eastern Conference playoff picture in a season that began with high hopes. They enter play on Thursday as the No. 11 seed in the East, 2.5 games out of playoff positioning.
And though the loss of John Wall (heel) for the season looked like it would be a huge blow for the Wizards, Bradley Beal has stepped up in a huge way. He's averaged 32.4 points per game in his last five outings, helping the Wizards to big wins over Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Oklahoma City during that span. Washington has covered in three straight games and in six of its last seven, so there's clearly momentum for this squad as it crosses the pond on Thursday.
But just because Washington is on a run doesn't mean it'll cover the Knicks vs. Wizards spread.
Emmanuel Mudiay has ratcheted up his game lately, averaging 15.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists the past five games. And rookie Kevin Knox has emerged, including a career-high 31 points against the Sixers on Sunday. The Knicks also get back reserve guard Frank Ntilikina (ankle), adding much-needed depth to the rotation.
The Knicks have excelled in games with a similar line, going 8-4-1 against the spread in matchups where they were 5.5- to 8.5-point underdogs. And Washington is just 9-11 against the spread as a favorite this season.
Who wins Knicks vs. Wizards? And which side of the spread can you bank on nearly 70 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the NBA London spread you should be all over Thursday, all from the model that's up nearly $3,000 on NBA picks this season, and find out.
